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Women bearing 5,6,7 or more children are not unusual even now. Not all will survive to become adults particularly in countries where contraception aid, maternal and general health care is poor or non existent as well as a poor economy. Men can obviously father many times that number and it...

Thank you @On the Levels, those small irises really do have one of the best blues in the garden, shame they don’t last long .

One thing I would do if I was planning my garden anew is to put a paved path all around the outside, wide enough to stand a stepladder on or push a wheelbarrow. It provides safe access to the back of the borders for weeding and to hedges and fences for trimming. You think it is going to take up...

I use pencil, then at the end of season I collect all the labels. The ones that didn't break from the light get washed (using sponge and soap), then I use eraser to clean whatever written.

Something I’ve done for years but a few years back, the Levington compost I got was so damn woody that the germination was really poor. Usually, I’d just scatter some seeds on the top of a pot full of compo then rake them in with my hand. Got a different method now.

So just had a look what tomato seeds I have.1x Gardeners Delight 2x Red Cherry (free with Gardener’s World Magazine)** 2x Roma 1x Alicante** 1x Red Cherry 1x Hildares* 1x Marmande (opened)*Expired 2024 **Expired 2025

Landrace Gardening by Joseph Lofthouse is an interesting book about this kind of thing.

The last one for now, was on the Thorny olive tree that the bird table and hanging feeder are on. It's another variegated leaf plant. It's quite early in the year to be trying this, but I've got nothing to loose.As you have probably noticed from all the bird photos recently, they have become...

That one’s a good vibrant blue @Clare G, now on my list .

I’d be surprised if Beth Chatto’s gardeners use slug pellets or insecticides . Birds tend to be vocal here in the morning and out looking for worms mainly early morning and at dusk. Sound for me also includes wind through the trees and swishing through dried grasses in winter.

Thank you Ricky that's what i like the know, i haven't seen that page

Paving slabs with a few pots and containers for summer or spring interest.

Hard wood cuttings have stored energy so they can often continue to throw out leaves before they root. I would personally remove the fruits because they are just robbing the energy and won't come to anything. In water you get those little white dots as a precursor to rooting. It's a good sign...